In many respects, the U.S. wheat year of 2013/14 will be a strange one. Much of the hard red winter (HRW) crop was planted in drought conditions last fall. It struggled through very dry winter dormancy and a spring growing season that was only eased by spotty spring rains. USDA estimates HRW production at 791 million bushels, down more than 200 million from last year, and some private analysts think USDA's estimate is too high. Because of wet conditions in the Northern Plains, most of the hard red spring (HRS) crop was planted and is maturing very late with only 18 percent harvested at last report versus an average of 38 percent. USDA estimates HRS production will reach 475 million bushels, down 30 million from last year. On the other han...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: The tariff burden rose sharply in 2025 and 2026: the effective rate on imports in HTS Chapters 1–24 increased from 1.53 percent in 2024 to 6.11 percent in 2025, before averaging 5.68 percent in January–August 2026. Headline rates tell only part of the story: exemptio...
Markets are getting into the Halloween spirit, handing out more tricks than treats. There has been some encouraging news, but it hasn’t been enough to slow the broader slide. Now buyers need to show up with something other than another “Charlie Brown” rock for the bag. Somethi...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.